San Diego  San Diego will welcome two new half-shelled friends Thursday when the Coast Guard transports two sea turtles from Newport, Ore., to SeaWorld for rehabilitation.

The turtles will be picked up at 9:45 a.m. at the Newport Municipal Airport by a C-130 Hercules plane provided by Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento and are scheduled to arrive in San Diego at 1:30 p.m.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Newport, which requested assistance with the relocation, said the Coast Guard offers the safest conditions for transport.

“We have pursued other methods of transporting the turtles to San Diego, but are concerned about exposing the turtles to any cold conditions,” said Laura L. Todd of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle and threatened green sea turtle were in severe thermal shock when they were rescued from near-lethal temperatures off the Oregon coast in November, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Thad Dirksen, curator of fishes at SeaWorld, said he had never heard of sea turtles going that far north.

“The warm waters from the El Niño year allow them to travel up north, but with a cold snap, they get stranded,” he said. “Some make it back, and others just can’t swim fast enough.”

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport has cared for the animals since they were rescued, but facilities at SeaWorld are better suited for full rehabilitation.

SeaWorld has a long history of rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles. With two full-time veterinarians available for the turtles’ needs, large holding tanks for further rehabilitation and access to warmer water along the coastline for their hopeful release, it is a prime location for the job, Dirksen said.

Although Dirksen has not yet seen the turtles and was unable to say for sure that the turtles will be released, he hopes for full rehabilitation to take about four to six months.

Jim Burke, director of animal husbandry at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, said the release of the two female sea turtles would be a step in the right direction for the remaining populations.

“These are both female turtles, and if we can get them back into the wild, it will benefit the endangered populations of sea turtles,” he said.

Burke isn’t the only one who thinks this is a great opportunity. The Coast Guard was more than happy to do its part for the endangered turtles.

“The Coast Guard has 11 missions, one of which encompasses environmental protection,” said Lt. Justin Cassell, a pilot from Air Station Sacramento. “What better way to help the animals of the environment than to ensure they get where they need to be. The Coast Guard is honored to be able to take part in such an amazing mission.”